Our Philosophy

The ‘Stag’ Tree & Our Philosophy

In the field of ecology in Australia, large dead or dying trees are referred to as ‘stags’. Stags have a particularly important status is the landscapes of Australia, as they provide critically important habitat for a wide range of our native animals. One major role they play is the provision of essential nesting hollows. The ‘stag’ just goes to show that nothing in our complex landscapes can be dismissed on a whim as having no value. Even a long-dead tree still plays an essential role in our unique and beautiful Australian landscape. Stagg Design Landscape Architecture use this idea, and meticulously assess every site and provide informed advice on how to get the most out of your landscape; whatever your needs my be. Our philosophy is one of recognising every landscape as unique, valuable, and deserving of the best possible design outcome.

"Creating landscapes for people, and people for landscapes"

Our Connection to Nature

Being in the field can be hot, dirty, hard work, but offers endless fascinating and beautiful experiences with our natural world. Check out our Biodiversity Gallery to see some of the amazing biodiversity we’ve come across while working in the field.

Melissa (Principal Landscape Architect at Stagg DLA) is involved in a range of environmental restoration and conservation work across the Goulburn Broken region and Victoria more widely, working closely with the Euroa Arboretum. The team at the Euroa Arboretum have decades of experience in the environmental landscape restoration and conservation field, so Stagg DLA is in good company to continue evolving ecological design approaches. From collecting wild seed for the Goulburn Broken Indigenous Seed Bank, to raising plants in the indigenous nursery, to implementing revegetation and restoration in the landscape; Melissa has further developed an intimate connection and fascination with the natural environment. Doing this work gives ample opportunity to observe the environment, and how it changes; especially in response to the conditions caused by climate change. This feeds the ongoing evolution of Stagg Design Landscape Architecture’s design responses to meet these challenges. This level of intimate involvement with our natural environment is rarely found in the profession of landscape architecture.

Doing conservation work, getting out in the field, among a diverse array of ecosystems, and working with our unique Australian plants in their natural environment builds invaluable knowledge. Observing and working with our plants in their natural setting, experiencing their natural conditions, seeing their relationships to insects, birds, animals, other plants and the ecosystem as a whole; this exposure develops an appreciation of nature that can’t be learnt from a book, but has to be experienced first hand. Anyone who works out in the field in this way, knows that you never stop learning about our unique and complex Australian environments. Stagg Design Landscape Architecture always have this at front-of-mind, and respond to every landscape, and every design, in a unique and ever evolving way; always looking for the best possible outcome, and never suggesting a solution just because it is familiar and easy. Every idea has to have merit, and every design is a new challenge on which we thrive.